Indiana gambling expansion raises concerns

Southeast Indiana casinos were left out of the gambling expansion and expect to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars.

US.- Indiana recently passed a gambling expansion bill that allows sports betting but still created concerns in the state. Southeast towns are protesting as the new legislation “takes away from the amount of cash that casinos pump into the community.

According to the mayor of Rising Sun, Brent Bascom, they’ll lose US$633k yearly. He says city leaders will have to take a hard look at their budget. “It’s a shocking number. There’s no question about it. We were holding up our end of the bargain. Why can’t we just have a voice at the table?”

“There’s a lot of different things where that money helps us, so we have to prepare for the new reality of what life in Rising Sun is going to be like,” said Bascom.

Lawrenceburg Mayor Kelly Mollaun remains optimistic and thinks the impact “will be minimal.”

“That’s what we always expect. Every two years, we’re fighting for our gaming dollars,” said Mollaun.

Sports betting legalisation

Indiana sports betting will soon launch after lawmakers approved a gambling expansion bill in the state. Not only will the segment be legal, but also new casinos will open in Terre Haute and Gary.

Both the House and the Senate voted to support the proposal. They reached an agreement after adding payments to Evansville and three northwestern Indiana cities. They expect tax revenue hits from the new casinos competing with those in their communities.

Furthermore, the gambling expansion bill allows horse track casinos in Anderson and Shelbyville to have table games with live dealers.